MRMRL

That is so impressive, I've not been brave enough to try a full interior, I'm still not, but here's inspiration for when I do 😃. Great presentation as well, looks just like the exploded diagrams you get in books.

That is superb for 1/72, if my 1/32 looks half that good when I build it, I'll be super happy, great finish.

As a member in my early 40s, I grew up with my dad who built kits and got me interested, however I was also riding the early wave of decent gaming consoles (the classic sega and Nintendo machines). I never stopped the video games, but did take a break from models for uni etc. I do both these days (when I can), but the models take priority as they are far more beneficial to my mental health overall. I expect the generation or so just behind me got sucked into the games much younger and never learnt anything else they could do with their time. As a dad of a 2 year old, I'll be interested to see which way he goes.

Hi Doug, welcome aboard from another ship modeller (although I do other things as well). There's an in depth guide to photo hosting in the forum, so many options. I use Google images myself (I have a pixel phone so get increased space for free), there's a bit of messing about to create an embed link that can be posted here, but I've got in a rhythm with it these days.

Welcome Andy, as you say, a lot of returners from teen building here, I didn't take quite as long a break as some. I've had my child (only the 1 so far), a little later in life and so I'm now adjusting to not being able to devote as much time as I like to this hobby. I'm also a builder of anything that takes my fancy, got a lot of AFV, cars and planes in the collection, but ships are my first love, especially WW2 era.

Thank you and I agree completely, I'll pay a little over retail price for something I really want, but only within a sensible margin. I have a pretty large stash, but I fully intend to build all of the kits I have (and the spreadsheet projections still look favourable 😉). The few existing models I'd like to round out the collection can wait for a new kit or a sensible price, I'm not in a rush.

That's very impressive, a lot to enjoy on that one.

Hi All The latest (and last) recovery from the shelf of doom. I've had this sitting around mostly built and with a panzer grey coat of paint on for months as I've been too intimidated to try the winter scheme. I've never done "proper" chipping before so I've been watching videos and reading tips without having the nerve to actually do it. Finally sucked up the courage, and while it was more difficult than most youtube channels make out (surprise surprise), I managed to get a decent effect out of it. Not sure if I want to make the effort to chip everything going forward, but I'd do another winter scheme this way again. Having done that, I couldn't do my usual lazy "paint it all one colour" job on the exhaust, so tried giving that the proper treatment as well. I don't think that came out quite as well, but not bad for a first go (tips welcome). Still taking a little artistic license with some painting, but overall, this is by far the most technically challenging paint job I've applied to a model, and I'm really delighted with the result. I'm off to do something "easy" like building the AA guns on a 1/350 battleship for a while after that though

Welcome Mark from freezing cold Bristol it might even snow here, which doesn't happen often and almost never this side of Christmas. As a returner to the hobby myself (albeit I've been back for some time now) I can't recommend it enough, and this is a great site to be involved in as well. I'm afraid my cricket interest doesn't go past the ashes usually, I'm more interested in all the footie (except your Aussie version) and used to play amateur rugby, before I got too old for getting physically battered by 20 year olds every weekend. I just stick to 5-a-side "soccer" now, but you give me hope for the idea of a kick about with my son, got a bit to go yet though, he's only 2, but then I'm only a little over 40 (I know, youngster right). Enjoy the Centurion, my favourite tank that. I've built the tamiya version, but may add an AFV copy to the collection at some point.

This is an immaculate finish in every way, such a stunning build

Hi Yg, thanks and yes the armoured dozer is in the stash somewhere 😃

Tha is for the comments and the love all, especially those fit the weathering, I was pretty pleased with the outcome. The box art for this one was pretty good inspiration 🙂

The real thing or the model Needless to say one is distinctly more affordable than the other. I can't speak for the real thing but the model is fabulous.

Hi All This is the first model I've completed in what seems like ages (probably about 4 months) that wasn't either tinkering with weathering on an old model or off the shelf of shame. I thought this was a great kit, which is good as I have a few other Ferrari's from the Fujimi range to assemble (although I'm still lacking my three favourites - the F40, F50 and Testarossa - I'm not willing to part with close to £100 for a 1/24 car). I think I've done the kit justice, especially as I'm still fairly new to car building. I did have a moment after I'd assembled it where a stray bit of superglue splashed on the bonnet and needed smoothing off and repainting, it's mostly hard to see now. Hope you enjoy.

Hi All This is the penultimate kit on my shelf of shame, I actually started this once about 4 years ago, did a little work in the cockpit and then put it away again. Got it out earlier this year and did a little more in the cockpit, but left it again in frustration and because I was concentrating on the HK Lancaster, so couldn't really handle another plane at the same time. Well, I've finally got my mojo back for it and finished it off. It's quite a mixed bag this one, some of the cockpit detail is excellent, the PE instrument panel and resin ejector seat especially are excellent. The wheel bays and landing gear are pretty good as well and the decals were really nice quality. Some of the plastic on the other hand leaves a fair bit to be desired and have some awful fit issues (especially underneath, hence the lack of photos there ). I think I've wrestled a half decent model out of it, it'll look nice in the sequence of early US fighter jets once I get more of those completed. It's the first time I've tried a bare metal finish with some different tones - I think maybe I need to be a little more subtle next time, but I'm fairly pleased with the overall effect. Oh, and apologies for the poor photos, winter shows up my lack of a proper setup for taking pictures as I have to turn on the lights to get photos taken.

Hi All Nearly caught up with the work I've done this year. This is one of the first models I built when I got back into the hobby, I even tried to weather it a little. I've added a little mud on the wheels and a wash over the stowage to make that a little less shiny and monotone, but otherwise this one appears as it did when I built it who knows how many years ago (more than 10, less than 20).

Hi All Finally getting a lot of my shelf of doom cleared. This one frustrated me very early on, it's a really detailed and intricate kit, but it's a bit of a nightmare to put together. Some of the parts (cab rear wall, side panels and more) attach by just lining them up by eye, no contact points, pins or nothing to hold them in place. As such its almost impossible to line everything up straight (very evident in the rear photo). Still, the end result is good, but this was a bit more of a wrestle than I was hoping for. Quite happy with my mud though

Hi All And....we're done, for Agano at least. Got round to the rigging on the weekend and here she is: And since that wraps her up, here's some shots of her on the base alongside Amagiri: So that's 2 down, 1 to go, Kagero next, probably a 2024 build now though. Thanks for joining me

Welcome Dale, as a fellow "anything I fancy" builder, the more eclectic the better I say. Hope you enjoy all your future building, definitely a lot of opportunities for fun to be had in this hobby these days when you enjoy the process.

I agree completely, you can see the age in the moulding, but you can't fault it for value and fun factor 😃

I can't take credit, I saw an even better version and asked how it was done. Imitation is flattery and all that 😉

Hi All I should have put this one in the KUTA group build really, but didn't want to log my time with it too extensively. Essentially I started this in summer, got nearly to the end and then put on the wash, got distracted by my 2 year old waking up unexpectedly in the evening and by the time I got back to it, the wash was all but impossible to take off as I wanted. It almost went in the bin at that point, but I cleaned it up as best as I could and put it back in the box instead. Until over the weekend when I got it out, added the mud and pigment and called it finished. Maybe I'll redo it one day, but for now, I'm leaving it as it is. I'm a bit sad because the benches inside and the handles of the tools are the best job I've ever done of wood effects (hopefully I can repeat the feat again in the future). It's mainly the big white decals front and back that are most affected, maybe I'll be brave enough to replace them to fix it in the future. Thanks for stopping by

Hi All Taking a break from ships and massive aircraft, here's the latest creation that I've cleared off my bench (I had altogether too many things partly started and now I'm starting to finish them off). Oddly I really enjoyed this kit, it's not the sort of thing I'd have normally done for (bit before my time), but its different from anything else I have. The kit itself is quite rough, the chrome pieces in particular, which flake really easily, were a bit of a nightmare, plus there was a lot of flash and some poor fit in places. Supposedly you can have the front wheels higher or lower, I've got them lowered, despite this not being the norm apparently, but I couldn't get the axle to pass through the raised location, so lowered it is. The engine detail is a nice bonus, I wouldn't expect it from a kit of this price bracket. Overall though, it's come out pretty well, it'll look nice on the shelf with its more recent companions Hope you enjoy

Nearly there, getting all the little bits and pieces finished off now: Catapult and crane painted and fitted Foil treatment completed for both boats that need it, ready for painting now And a base coat of paint added (I should have done the foil on another boat as it turns out (the one on the left), but can't be bothered now - it'll be on the hidden side when I display it) Decals finished for the float planes And some pictures of the boats and planes completed and fixed in place ... And that's it for another day, just rigging left to finish this one off

Exciting times, I love the Dido class as well and have been waiting for these ever since they first appeared in a catalogue. Hopefully, with the Devastator also finally making an appearance, maybe the 1/350 Nelson and Pittsburgh will also finally appear in real life 😃